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The Place of Indra in Early Buddhism

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The Place of Indra in Early Buddhism The Place of Indra in Early Buddhism Prefatory Note: HE scope of the following dissertation is a detailed study of the mytho- logical concept of Sakka as found in Early Buddhism. The historical T evolution of this concept from that of Indra of the Rg Veda and its development during the period of the compilation of the early Pali Canon are the two main points kept in view. The chief sources for the facts investigated and discussed have been the following: - Digha Nikaya Majjhima Nikaya AIiguttara Nikaya Samyutta Nikaya Dhammapada Suttanipata Theragatha Therigatha Udana j ataka Vinaya Pitaka (Mahavagga). The Commentaries have been drawn upon only when it was thought necessary to do so either for the purpose of elucidation or for comparison with the later trends of development. Among the authorities consulted on the origin and development of the concept of Indra in Vedic Mythology special mention must be made of the authoritative treatises of Macdonell, Keith and Mackenzie. On the development of the Buddhist concept of Sakka the important contribu- tions of Professor and Mrs. Rhys Davids have been given special consideration although the main thesis put forward herein runs counter to their conclusions. Other authors consulted have been listed in the bibliography. List of Abbreviations. AB. Aitareya Brahrnana AV. Atharva Veda B.C. Before Christ Brhad. Up. Brhad :Ara':lyaka Upanisad Ch. up. Chandogya Upanisad cpo Compare Dial. Dialogues of the Buddha EB. The Ethics of Buddhism j. feminine f.n. footnote ib .• ibid. ibidem-in the same book ss«: Up. Kausitakl Upanisad lac. cit. loco citato--in the passage already quoted UNIVERSITY OF CEYLON REVIEW Mtu. Mahavastu p. page PLL. Pali Language and Literature RPV. Religion and Philosophy of the Veda RV. ~g Veda s. sub-under SB. Satapatha Brahmana SBE. Sacred Books of the East sg. singular s.v. sub verbo-under the word (heading) TB. Taittirtya Brahmana TS. Taittiriya Samhita TPU. The Thirteen Principal Upanishads u.l, varia lectio-variant reading Vol. Volume VM. Vedic Mythology YV. Yajur Veda Add to these abbreviations of titles of Pali books as used in the Pali-Englisb Dictionary (Pali Text Society). Bi bliography. General: Eliot, Charles Hinduism and Buddhism. Vol. I Geiger, W. Pali Language and Literature (translated by Ghosh). Grousset, Rene In the Footsteps of the Buddha Keith, A. B. Religion and Philosophy of the Veda. (Harvard Oriental Series, Vols. XXI and XXII) Law, B. C. Heaven and Hell Macdonell, A. A. Vedic Mythology Mackenzie, Donald, A. Indian Myth and Legend Muller, Max F. Six Systems of Indian Philosophy Reed Primitive Buddhism Rhys Davids, T. W. Buddhist India Rhys Davids, (Mrs.) C. A. F. Sakya, A Manual of Buddhism Smith, Sir G. Elliot .. In the Beginning (Thinkers' Library) Tachibana, S. The Ethics of Buddhism (Colombo, 1943) Winternitz, Maurice A History of Indian Literature, Vol. II Translations: Eggeling, Julius Satapatha Brahmana (SBE.) Griffith, Ralph T. H. The Hymns of the Atharva Veda, Vols. I and II Griffith, Ralph T. H. The Hymns of the Rg Veda, Vols. I and II Hume, Robert Ernest The Thirteen Principal Upanishads Keith, A. B. Aitareya Brahmana, (Harvard Oriental Series, Vol. XXV.) Rhys Davids, T. W. and Olden- berg, H. Vinaya Texts I. (SBE.), Vol. XIII. Rhys Davids, T. W. and (Mrs.) C. A. F. Dialogues of the Buddha II Rhys Davids, (Mrs.) C. A. F. The Book of the Kindred Sayings I. (Samyutta Nikaya) 42 THE PLACE OF INDRA IN EARLY BUDDHISM Lexicons: Childers, R. C. The Dictionary of the Pali Language Grassmann, Hermen Worterbuch Zum Rig-Veda Malalasekara, G. P. Dictionary of Pali Proper Names Monier-Williams, Sir Monier .. Sanskrit-English Dictionary Stede, Williams and Rhys Davids, T. W. Pall-English Dictionary Journals: Indian Culture Vols. I, VII University of Ceylon, Review Vol. I, No.2 §1. INDRA-his Indo-European Character. Indra, the favourite national god of the Vedic Indian, is celebrated in more than one fourth of the number of hymns in the J;tg Veda (VM. p. 54). Indra is an Indo-European conception. Mackenzie' shows how Indra bears resemblances to other' hammer gods.' It is difficult to indicate with certainty, the original home and the time in which Indra first took shape. Mackenzie surmises that Indra was first worshipped on the Steppes during the Stone-Age. The Nomads of the Steppes in their migrations distributed the central idea of the god to different countries. Thus the idea of the god grew according to climatic conditions and different cultural environments (ib. p. 2). According to Mackenzie, Indra's counterpart in China is P'an Ku, who uses the' thunder hammer' in shaping the hills. In Scotland his replica is Fin-mac-Coul. The ancient Egyptians knew him as Ptah. In Southern Europe he is Zeus-pater (Jupiter), the wielder of the thunder-bolt; in Northern Europe he is Thor. Among the Hittites, he is Tarku; he is our Indra in Mitanni and in the Punjab (ib. pp. 2-3). It will be endeavoured to show in the following paragraphs that Sakka is another form of the development of Indra. The resemblances between the Teutonic Thor and the Vedic Indra are very close. It is a remarkable fact that Thor's frightening of Loke with his hammer has a resemblance to Sakka's (as Vajirapani) frightening of Ambattha and Saccaka in early Buddhism (§4. s. Vajirapat],i). That the name Indra did not originate in India, receives support from an inscription at Boghas Koi in Asia Minor, referring to a peace treaty between the Kings of the Hittites and Mitanni. Professor Hugo Winckler has decip- hered the word" In-da-ra " as the name of a Mittanni god who had associations with Varuna, Mitra and Nasatya (ib. pp. xxxi. etc.). It is the belief of scholars that the derivation of the word Indra is from <Innara,' a loan word from the Hittites. 2 The Iranians knew of Indra as a god equal to Varuna, and even in the earliest times, there is no clear prooftoshow that Varuna was in any sense superior to Indra (RPV. p. 90). Whereas Varuna 1. Donald A. Mackenzie, Indian Myth and Legend, pp. 1-2. 2. See' Birth of Gods' by Dr. Ghosh in Indian Culture, V:ol.VII. 43 UNIVERSITY OF CEYLON REVIEW lost ground in India Zoroaster developed the figure of Ahura Mazdah, and deprived him of a rival by bringing Indra to the degraded rank of a demon (ib. p. 468). It is suggested by Gray that Indra's degradation from divine to demonic character is due to his connection with the bringing of beneficent rains during the monsoons in India and heavy rains of water that bring malaria in Iran.r Indra's Vedic epithet Vrtrahan which appears in the Avesta as uerethrag- na is not connected with Indra (VM. p. 68). The god in the Avesta is a per- sonification of victory.s Benveniste shows that Indra ultimately absorbed the divine figure Vrtrahan (ibid). Macdonell thinks that even in the Avesta there was a god approaching to the Vedic Vrtra-slaying Indra (VM. p. 68). According to Max Muller! the word Tndra means the person who sends rain (indu = drop of rain), that is to say, Indra is a "rainer ' or 'irrigator.' This etymology of Indra seems probable as we find that Vedic Indra is also a god of ram. The earliest Indo-Europeans were familiar with the story of a dragon- slaying hero." The counterparts of Indra and Vrtra are to be found in Indo- European mythology, as Keith has pointed out. We have the myths of Zeus and Typhon, Hercules and Hydra, Apollo and Python, Thor and the Serpent, Marduk and Tiamat, Gilgames and Humbaba.s The Indo-European character of Indra is thus established. §2. Sakka identified with Indra. Sakka, to whom reference has already been made, is the Buddhist counter- part of the Vedic god Indra. The Jataka commentary clearly identifies Sakka with Indra: "Sakko ti Indo" (J,V. IIS). In the Pali Suttas Sakka is generally alluded to by the' triple worded appellative' as Mrs. Rhys Davids has aptly described it," namely, ' Sakko devanam indo' (S.I. 216-240; IV. 100-2; 201-2; 269-80; A.I. 143; III. 370; IV. 89, 105, 163, 242; D.I. 2I7; II. 180,208-209, 22I-2, 263-89; M.I. 252 et. seq.). It is necessary to observe here that the word' inda ' is used in the sense of ' ruler' as generally implied in Pali and not as the Vedic proper name' Indra '. He is also referred to as 'devanam indo' especially in places where he is addressed as such (S. IV. I02 ; D. II. 277-85). In other instances where Sakka's rulership of the gods is specifically implied he is just known as ' indo' (D. I. 221; II. 284; III. 176; M. I. I40, 261, 274; Sn. 316, 679, I,024 ; J, IV. 133, verse 104; V. 52, verse 26, 158, verse 30). This application, however, is to be regarded as distinct from other occurr- ences of the term' Inda' in the Suttas (D. I. 244; III. 204) where it is used 3. See' Indra and Vrtra ' by Keith in Indian Culture, Vol. 1. No. I. p. 465. 4. Keith. loco cit .• p. 462. 5· Six Systems of Indian Philosophy, p. 46. 6. Sakya. p. 276. 44 THE PLACE OF INDRA IN EARLY BUDDHISM with particular reference to the Indra of Vedic mythology and without any relation to his Buddhist counterpart. It is significant that in these passages relating to Vedic ritual and sacrifice it is only the historical term' Inda ' (Indra) that is always used but never' Sakka ' (S~kra).
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